The Trouble with Time
by madmonnette
Summary: They hate it when they don't have time for each other. I own nothing. Part of my "All in Good Time" AU. Look for the smutty sequel Time for Trouble.


Kagome slammed the door as she entered the apartment. She threw her bag and her keys, not caring where they landed. She kicked her shoes off and started stripping out of her business clothes. _Couch. Definitely. Bed is too far._ She reached the couch clad only in her undergarments and a camisole. She reached for the pin holding her hair up and threw it to the side too. Then she rolled over the back of the couch to plant her face in the cushions and scream into them.

Inuyasha had been having a wonderful day. Yesterday, he had closed a huge deal and he had given himself the day off. Kagome hadn't been able to be home lately. The hospital had her on a crazy schedule with three doctors out on "I'm growing a child and my mate WILL NOT let me leave" leave and another two out with the flu. He had cleaned the apartment top to bottom and he was just putting a cake in the oven when he heard the door slam. He heard various items hit ceilings and walls. He ventured out of the kitchen to greet his wife and a hair pin went sailing past him, wrapped in a bit of pink purifying power. It got lodged in the wall it flew into. _Shit. Must have been a bad shift._ He heard the muffled screams from the couch. _Nope. Bad doesn't even cover it. Maybe shift doesn't cover it either. Between the hospital and our mate bond a bit neglected and muted right now, her stress levels are probably running dangerously high._ Inuyasha grabbed the dirty mixing bowl with all the leftover batter and a spatula from the kitchen and approached his wife.

Kagome heard Inuyasha come from the kitchen. _Of course. He got to stay at home all day. Lucky bastard. I've worked three back to back shifts. Mostly trauma too. Am I the only healthy, unfertilized doctor? And did all the men just fucking scatter? Or are they at home too? Taking a load- wait. what is that I smell. Is that chocolate?_ Kagome turned her face to the side, sniffing for the chocolate. _I also smell, cleaning supplies? Did Inuyasha clean?_ She cracked open her eyes and took a moment to process the scene before her. Her husband sat before her, licking chocolate cake batter off of a spatula over a bowl in his lap. A bowl that had a suspicious amount of batter in it. Inuyasha held the spatula and bowl out to her. "Want some?" he asked her with that lopsided grin of his. Kagome nodded and opened her mouth. Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head at her, but he moved forward to oblige her. He loaded up the spatula then placed it gently on her tongue. She closed her mouth around it, sucking up all the chocolate, too tired, stressed, and angry to make it dirty or sexual. He gave her a soft smile of understanding and leaned forward to kiss her forehead, his dark hair mixing with hers. _Wait. Dark hair. The new moon is tonight?_

Kagome inhaled sharply and choked on a bit of batter. Inuyasha leaned back quickly. "Kagome! Are you alright?" He searched her face desperately for any clues as to the distress he felt coming off her in waves. He watched as her eyes filled with tears. He was stunned when she turned her face back into the cushion to stifle her sobs. "Kagome! What's wrong, baby? Please talk to me!" When Kagome only cried harder, Inuyasha started rubbing her back, murmuring sweet nothings into her ear. He told her it was alright. That she could just cry. If that's what she needed. That he was there. That he loved her. Eventually her sobs gave way to ragged breaths and sighs and the occasional cough or hiccup. Eventually she turned towards him, fresh tears making tracks down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha. I totally forgot that tonight was the new moon. I was so wrapped up in myself these past few days and I've been so busy. I don't even think we've talked since I last left for the hospital and it's been a marathon since then. I'm so sorry, my love. I didn't even think. I am so, so, sorry, Inuyasha. I almost completely abandoned you. I am the absolute worst." Kagome's breath caught on fresh sobs. Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his mate and lifted her up so that he was sitting on the couch too, with her in his lap. Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and lost herself in his presence. She inhaled his scent, it was less woodsy when he was human but the almond fragrance that was so wonderfully him came through all the same. She felt his strong arms crushing her against him. She reveled in his hot breath warming the part of her head he had smushed his face into. _He always loves to bury his nose in my hair._ She turned her mind into herself and sought the part of herself that was always connected to Inuyasha. It was very quiet, and a bit dark. Almost like someone had turned off the lights _How long has it been since we've focused on this? Too long clearly. And the last three days of closing ourselves off to the entire world outside of work definitely didn't help that._ Kagome set about feeling around the bonds of their souls, trying to touch everything she could, trying to bring light into her heart that had been so angry just moments ago.

Inuyasha felt what she was doing, felt the tug on their bond, on his soul. He felt her pain, her guilt, her utter exhaustion. He helped her find her comfort in him. He reached out with his heart and his soul and she latched onto it gratefully, calling to it for peace and security. Her breathing evened out and she relaxed completely into the peaceful rest she had been craving for days. Inuyasha held her and rocked her until the timer rang out in the kitchen. Inuyasha kissed Kagome on the forehead, then rearranged her so that she was comfortable. He grabbed the blanket on the back of the couch and tucked her in gently. He made sure to keep his thoughts happy, loving, and wholesome and their bond open as he checked the 3 layers of cake. They were all perfectly cooked. Inuyasha grinned and allowed his joy and a teeny bit of pride to swirl through him. He set the cakes to cool and he started on the chocolate buttercream frosting.

Kagome woke feeling warm, happy, and completely loved. She heard humming in the kitchen and went to investigate. She felt the joy and pride and contentment coming from her husband and was curious to see what had inspired such wonderful feelings. What she saw took her breath away. Kagome watched as Inuyasha placed the final cake layer on top of a beautifully thick layer of buttercream frosting. She stood in awe as Inuyasha used a cake spatula- _I didn't even know we owned one of those. Or that Inuyasha knew how to use it!_ -to smooth icing on the top of the cake and slowly smooth it down the sides. She could only stare as he finally finished and stepped back to appreciate his creation. And Kagome appreciated him. She finally padded into the kitchen. He turned to face her, a big sloppy grin on his face and chocolate smudged in quite a few places. He opened his arms to her and she walked straight into them. She stared into his eyes finding the love there that she felt in her heart, her soul, and every fiber of her body from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Inuyasha touched his nose to hers and nuzzled them together. Their eyes never left each other. "Welcome home." It was nothing more than a whisper, a breath of a promise. It danced across her lips just before he did. It was a soft kiss. A kiss that held love and simple gratitude for the moment they shared. They were happy, simply and completely, enjoying a small piece of time wrapped in each other's arms. 'Cause they knew, the trouble with time was that there was never enough.


End file.
